The central Italy seismic sequence between August and December 2016: Analysis of strong-motion observations

Since August 2016, central Italy has been struck by one of the most important seismic sequences ever recorded in the country. In this study, a strong-motion data set, consisting of nearly 10,000 waveforms, has been analyzed to gather insights about the main features of ground motion, in terms of regional variability, shaking intensity, and near-source effects. In particular, the shake maps from the three main events in the sequence have been calculated to evaluate the distribution of shaking at a regional scale, and a residual analysis has been performed, aimed at interpreting the strong-motion parameters as functions of source distance, azimuth, and local site conditions. Particular attention has been dedicated to near-source effects (i.e., hanging wall/footwall, forward-directivity, or fling-step effects). Finally, ground-motion intensities in the near-source area have been discussed with respect to the values used for structural design. In general, the areas of maximum shaking appear to reflect, primarily, rupture complexity on the finite faults. Large ground-motion variability is observed along the Apennine direction (northwest-southeast) that can be attributed to source-directivity effects, especially evident in the case of small-magnitude aftershocks. Amplifications are observed in correspondence to intramountain basins, fluvial valleys, and the loose deposits along the Adriatic coast. Near-source ground motions exhibit hanging-wall effects, forward-directivity pulses, and permanent displacement.